


King of the Streets: A Hamfic

by StoryRodeo_333



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Cars, Drug Use, F/F, F/M, High School, M/M, Modern Setting, Nonbinary Lafayette, Street Racing AU, Trans Burr, Trans Eliza, but not as wild as the other ones, this one is wild
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-25
Updated: 2016-04-25
Packaged: 2018-06-04 12:16:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6657379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StoryRodeo_333/pseuds/StoryRodeo_333
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Alex starts his junior year at a new school, all he wants is to buy a junk car and go about his business. But then he meets some friends and the car he finds is no ordinary car. This car is lucky. Alex ends up getting mixed up in the world of street racing and drags everyone in with him. Will Alex win the title of King of the Streets? Will He find true love? Will he get a date to the school dance? find out in King of the Streets: A Hamfic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is not related to the other Hamfics I've written. but go read those ones too.

New school, new you. Alex repeated this in his head as he walked down the halls of his new high school. He was a junior this year and he had just gotten his driver’s license. He didn’t have a car yet, but he was going to. He was ready to conquer these streets.

                Alex stepped into his first class: government. Everyone was already there, talking amongst themselves. Alex found a seat at the front of the class and sat down. There were two boys sitting on either side of him, talking to each other past Alex. One of the boys leaned over and rested his arms on Alex’s desk.

                “I’m John,” the boy said, extending a hand. Alex shook it and looked at the boy. His curly hair was pulled back in a ponytail and freckles painted his entire face. Before he could start mapping out all the freckles, Alex shook himself out of his trance and shook his hand.

                “Alexander Hamilton,” said Alex.

                “That’s Hercules Mulligan,” said John, pointing to the other guy he had been talking to. He was big, a football player if Alex were to go by the letterman jacket he was wearing, and he wore a lazy grin as he shook Alex’s hand.

                “Call me Mulligan. I hate when people call me Hercules,” he said.

                “You must be new. Did you just move here?” asked John.

                “Yeah, I did,” said Alex. “I’ve been moving around a lot since I came to America.”

                “Oh, where are you from?” asked John.

                “Yeah, where are you from?” asked a new voice. A tall guy with fabulous hair stood in front of Alex’s desk. He smirked down at Alex with his arms crossed over his chest. Everything about this guy screamed “arrogant prick”. Alex immediately disliked him.

                “None of your business, that’s where,” said Alex.

                The guy opened his mouth to say something but a hand came down on his shoulder and another guy led him away.

                “Who was that?” Alex asked.

                “That’s Thomas Jefferson,” said John with a grimace. “The biggest asshole you’ll ever meet.”

                “And the other guy is James Madison,” said Mulligan. “He’s alright. I don’t know why those two are friends.”

                The door of the classroom closed and the two last people walked in. Another (incredibly fashionable) student who took the empty seat behind Alex, and the teacher, closing the door behind him. The teacher was a tall man with a stern face. He walked to the desk and set down his briefcase, then looked at the class.

                “Good morning everyone and welcome to Government,” he said in a deep voice. “Before we get started, we have two new students this year. Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette just moved here from France.”

                Alex startled when the teacher pointed right at him. The kid behind him cleared their throat and said in a thick accent, “Please, just call me Lafayette.”

                Alex looked at Lafayette and was surprised at how pretty they were. They caught his eye and winked. Alex blushed and looked forward again as the teacher kept talking.

                “And Alexander Hamilton is also a new student here,” he said, actually pointing at Alex this time. “Alright everyone, let’s get started. My name is Washington and we’ll be learning all about government and stuff.”

                Ah yes. Government and stuff. This was going to be Alex’s favorite class. He opened his notebook and started taking notes. When class was over, the three agreed to sit together at lunch and continued on their way.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

                Lunch came and no one was prepared for the events that ensued. Just kidding. Nothing happened. It was just a normal lunch. Alex sat with his new friends, John and Mulligan. They were talking about their classes when someone sat down next to them with a huff. It was the new kid from France!

                “Oh, mon dieu,” they said. “They do not stop fighting for even a second.”

                They pointed behind them at Jefferson and Madison, who were arguing with each other at another table.

                “You know them?” asked Alex.

                “Oui. Thomas is a family friend,” they said. “You all met me in our first class, and I know you are Alex, but I don’t believe I know you two.”

                “John Laurens,” said John.

                “Hercules Mulligan,” said Mulligan. “Please call me Mulligan.”

                “It is nice to meet you all,” said Lafayette. “Would it be too forward of me to ask if I could sit here for lunch from now on? Those two are _incroyablement ennuyeux et désagréable_. ”

                “ _Jefferson se présenta à moi plus tôt. Il était délicieux,_ ” said Alex. Lafayette looked at him with wide eyes.

                “ _Tu parle français?!_ ” said Lafayette.

                Alex and Lafayette started talking to each other in French and the other two just looked at each other.


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey Alex, whatchu writin?” asked John. He was looking through old notebooks of Alex’s while Lafayette and Mulligan sat in a circle with him and chatted. They were all hanging out in Alex’s room after school. Alex’s foster parents were almost never home, so they decided to hang out there for a while.

                “Oh nothing,” said Alex. “So guys, I’ve been thinking. I want to go looking for a car soon. I have some money saved up.”

                “Oh yeah!” John sat up. “You should!”

                “What kind of car are you looking for?” asked Mulligan.

                “You should get a Lamborghini,” said Lafayette.

                “Well, I can’t really afford that,” said Alex. “I was just gonna go around and see what I can find in my budget.”

                “We can all go with you!” said John. “It’ll be fun!”

                “Yeah!” said Mulligan.

                “Let’s go right now!” said Lafayette.

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

                The four friends all took John’s car, (a BMW G12 7 series cause his dads rich), and they drove around looking at used cars. But before long, the found themselves driving down a back road that no one recognized. There was forest on both sides of the road and the road was rough gravel. After a while, they saw a sign on the road by a hidden driveway. When they got closer, they could read the sign. It said:

                _Car for sale. Good price._

“What do you guys think?” asked Mulligan.

                “Let’s go,” said Alex.

                John turned down the driveway. It was bumpy and the forest was thicker. The trees seemed to be closing in on them as they drove. Then, all of a sudden, they came to a clearing. It was a junkyard! A huge junkyard! They drove through the gates and stopped in front of a small trailer in the very center of the yard. As they got out of the car, they all looked around but none of them saw any cars. Just piles of scrap metal everywhere.

                “Y’all here ta buy the car?” said a voice. The boys all looked and saw a man coming out of the trailer. He was a large man who wore a white wife beater and checkered boxers. He had a gold chain around his thick neck, but it was buried in chest hair. His chest hair curled over the neck of his shirt. His face was pockmarked and his moustache was bushy.

                “Yes sir,” said Alex. “We came to look at it.”

                “Aight. Follow me,” he waved at them over his shoulder as he turned and started walking away. The boys followed him through the junkyard all the way to the back. When they rounded the corner, Alex’s eyes widened and he gasped. Sitting in the midst of scrap metal mountains was a gold 1977 Pontiac Firebird. It sparkled in the sun. The bird on the hood didn’t have a scratch on it.

                There was something about the car that made Alex walk up to it and place a hand on the hood. A shiver ran through him.

                “How much?” he asked without taking his eyes off the car.

                “Eight hundred,” said the man.

                “I’ll take it,” said Alex.

                He paid the man in cash, signed some papers, and before he knew it, he was getting into the car and closing the door. Lafayette agreed to drive with him while John and Mulligan took John’s car. Alex looked at the key in his hand. It was gold and it was on a small chain with a white rabbit’s foot. He put the key in the ignition and turned it.

                The engine rumbled to life and vibrated the car with a steady hum. The sound of the engine sent a thrill through Alex. He was suddenly overcome with the need to be on the open road, racing down the streets. He needed to feel the engine roaring down the highway. He needed to fly.

                This need wasn’t just an urge, it was an itch. An itch that needed to be scratched.

                Alex had a fever. He had a fever and the only prescription…was speed.


	3. Chapter 3

That weekend, John, Mulligan, and Lafayette came over to hang out with Alex. Alex was going to take the Firebird out for a drive.

                They found a stretch of road that was empty and Alex sat in the center of it, ready to drive. He felt the engine vibrating in the seat and through his body. He gripped the wheel tighter and revved the engine.

                John walked up to the window and said, “So, this road is about seven miles long. Around the five mile mark, the road goes around some sharp turns and then it stops at the seven mile mark. It’s a dead end. So drive to the end of the road and see how it handles speed and the turns and stuff and then come back. We’ll be waiting for you here.”

                “Got it,” said Alex, nodding. He revved the engine again and John stepped back to where Mulligan and Lafayette stood on the side of the road.

                Alex pushed the pedal to the metal. The back wheels squealed and kicked up gravel before the car shot forward. It fishtailed a bit before Alex righted it. The car climbed to sixty in no time, and then it kept going. Seventy, eighty, ninety, one hundred. He kept getting faster and faster. Past one fifty and kept climbing. Alex’s heart pounded in his chest.

                Up ahead, the road turned. He took the turn fast, the back end of the car flying around the corner, the wheels squealing. He took all the turns like this until the road straightened out and Alex sped up again. He was coming up on the end of the road, he knew it. Any second now….there it was. Orange “Do Not Cross” gates blocked the road ahead.

                Alex was approaching them fast and he was ready to stop but then he saw something. The road beyond the gates dropped off into a ravine, but it continued on the other side. Alex weighted his chances and finally decided to go for it. He sped up until he reached a hundred and smashed right through those orange gates. Then he sped up even more drove right off the ledge.

                Time slowed as he flew through the air. The other side of the ravine was approaching. For a split second, Alex feared he wouldn’t make it, but then his front wheels hit the pavement and he sped on down the stretch of road in front of him.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

                John, Lafayette, and Mulligan wondered where Alex could have gone. It shouldn’t be taking this long for him to come back. They contemplated going after him but just then, they heard the rumble of an engine. They turned around and saw the gold Firebird rolling towards them. Alex pulled up next to them and they all ran to him as he got out of the car.

                “Dude! How did you go around? There were no off roads!” said John.

                “I jumped the ravine,” said Alex. “You should’ve seen me! I crashed right through the construction gates and jumped across to the other side! It was so cool!”

                “Whoa! No way!” said Mulligan.

                “Yes way!” said Alex. “This car is amazing! It took the turns so well at sixty, and it can get past one fifty. I didn’t get a chance to go over that, but I think it can do it.”

                “Okay, what that car needs then, is a makeover,” said John. “It needs a new paint job, a checkup, maybe some new tires just in case, and new upholstery.”

                Alex looked at the car. The paint job did look like it could use some touchups and the upholstery was definitely a mess. The tires were fine, but they were about as old as the car and should probably get changed.

                This would all cost a lot of money, but Alex still had some left over from buying the car.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

                After school on Monday, Alex drove to the shop. It was a family owned business called Schuyler Auto Repair and Body Shop. He pulled up to the front and went inside. He didn’t see anyone right away, but then there was a loud _clang_ and someone swearing. A girl in coveralls with a high ponytail jumped down from the open engine of a truck on the other side of the garage and walked over to Alex. He recognized her from somewhere but couldn’t figure it out.

                “Hey! I know you!” she said. “You go to my school! Alex, right?”

                “Yeah, sorry I don’t know your name,” said Alex.

                “I’m Peggy. You probably don’t know me. I’m a freshman,” she said, holding out a dirty hand. Alex shook it. “How can I help you?”

                “I just wanted to do a few touchups on my-“

                “Whoa! Is that your car?!” she asked, pointing at the Firebird waiting outside the garage.

                “Yeah.”

                “No way!” she walked past Alex and went to the car. She walked around it twice, gaping at it. “Where on earth did you find this bad boy?”

                “At a junkyard in the middle of nowhere,” said Alex.

                “How does it handle?”

                “Like a dream.”

                “Shift?”

                “Perfect.”

                “Acceleration?”

                “Zero to sixty in three seconds.”

                “I’ve never heard of a Firebird with these specs,” she said, narrowing her eyes at Alex.

                “Me neither,” he said.

                Peggy looked back at the car and said, “Alright. Let’s do this. Bring it in right over there.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

Seventh hour Chemistry was fun. Alex liked it because he just got two awesome lab partners, (because of the uneven amount of students in the class). Well, Alex didn’t know if they were actually awesome just yet, since they just met.

                One of them was a boy named Aaron Burr. He was pretty quiet and Alex knew he would have fun with him. His other partner was a hottie named Angelica Schuyler. (Not that Aaron wasn’t a hottie too, it was just the way this girl carried herself). Her outfit and red lips were almost as sharp as her tongue. As soon as she opened her mouth, Alex knew not to get on her bad side.

                “So, I heard you met my sister at the shop,” Angelica was saying. The teacher had just let the class work on a worksheet about lab safety with their partners.

                “Peggy, yeah. She’s really cool,” said Alex. “And I think Eliza is in my English class.”

                “She is. She told me about you,” she said.

                “She did? What’d she say?” Alex asked, curious. Alex remembered Eliza from the beginning of the school year. He remembered people picking on her when they found out she was trans. He had stood up for her multiple times in their English class.

                “She said you were really cute,” she said. Alex perked up. “But you were also loud and kind of annoying.”

                “I’ll take that as a compliment,” Alex said, shrugging. That made him think back to his English class. He remembered Eliza catching his eye and how he thought her the best looking one in that entire class. He imagined taking her to a dance, Eliza holding his arm, looking beautiful in a long blue gown. But all of a sudden, the imaginary Eliza disappeared and in her place, John Laurens appeared. He looked really good in a suit…

                The bell rang, startling Alex out of his daydream.

                “Alright everyone, pass up your worksheets and have a good afternoon,” said the teacher. Alex looked down at his blank worksheet for a moment before stuffing it into his backpack.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

                After he went to his locker and stuff, he met up with John. Lafayette was in their photography club and Mulligan was at football practice. John and Alex walked to the body shop. It had been a few days since he dropped the car off there. When they went into the open garage, they found Peggy working under the hood of the Firebird with another girl. She looked up and saw Alex.

                “Alex! Come check it out! I repainted it,” she said. Alex went to the car and saw that the paint job looked amazing. There wasn’t a scratch on the car. Not even a fingerprint. The tires were new and all the glass looked perfect.

                “Wow Peggy! This looks amazing!” said Alex.

                “Thanks! Oh hey John,” she waved to John. “Oh, guys this is Maria. She’s a family friend. I’m teaching her how to do stuff around the garage.”

                Alex looked Maria over once, noticing that she looked like a model out of a car magazine. Her luxurious hair was pinned over to one side and her lips were a cherry red. So many hotties in one day!!

                “It’s lovely to meet you, Maria,” said Alex. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. She blushed and giggled, taking her hand back.

                “Nice try hot stuff,” said Peggy. “She’s dating Angelica.”

                “My apologies,” said Alex. “So Peggy, how is she?”

                “She’s doing good. I’m just finishing up some small details,” she said. “She should be done by tomorrow. But there’s something I wanna show you.”

                Peggy led Alex to the side of the car and leaned into the window. Alex leaned in next to her.

                “See that switch right there next to the ignition?” she pointed to a switch that wasn’t there before. “That right there is Nitrous. When you get to top speed, just press that bad boy and you’ll shoot right past that finish line. Do you smoke?”

                “No.”

                “Well, don’t start. And don’t do it in the car, cuz this stuff is flammable,” she said. “Come back tomorrow and she should be ready to drive.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

                Alex went to the garage again the very next day. He paid Mr. Schuyler for the service and took the car out onto the road. He went to that stretch of road that John had found from before. He was going to try the jump again, now that he had better tires and the frame was straightened out. He started at the beginning of the road and revved the engine. He shifted, dropped the clutch, and slammed on the gas, letting the tires scream.

                The Firebird roared down the empty stretch of road, tearing up the pavement. The speedometer crawled up to one fifty, and then it inched past it, all the way to two hundred. He glanced down at the Nitrous switch. He was tempted to try it out, but he knew he would need to get it replaced if he used it right now. And he was broke.

                Two hundred was fast though, and Alex’s pulse raced with adrenaline. The trees whipped past him on either side of the car. He slowed to sixty and took the turns again, the new tires squealing against the asphalt. And then there was the jump. Up ahead. The orange gates were still broken and scattered on the ground. Alex sped right through them and right off the ledge.

                This time, as the car flew through the air, Alex wasn’t afraid of missing the other side. He looked at the road where it continued ahead of him and he knew he would make it.

                And sure enough, the tires hit the pavement and he drove on.

                As Alex drove, he thought about looping back around and taking that road again, but then he saw a split in the road up ahead. He had never gone down the left road before. When he got to the split, he turned left and sped down that road. The road went back into the city, behind businesses and complexes.

                Alex slowed to a stop after a while, because the road came to a dead end. Dumpsters stood against the brick walls and big wooden crates were stacked high. There were two small side streets that let off in either direction back to the main roads. The rumble of engines filled the air. Cars drove in through the side streets and surrounded Alex’s Firebird. Alex spotted a Mustang, a Dodge Charger, an Audi, some muscle cars, and one he didn’t recognize. They all surrounded him and stopped, their headlights on him. The purple Mustang right in front of him revved its engine and inched forward a little bit, threatening to bump him. The driver then put it in park and got out.

                Alex stepped out as well and finally saw the driver. It was none other than that annoying guy in school, Thomas Jefferson.

                He smirked when he saw Alex.

                “Well, well, well,” he said. “Looks like you found yourself a car. Or should I say a pile of scrap metal. Where’d you find this trash, a junkyard?”

                Alex didn’t say anything. He just glared at Jefferson.

                “You probably don’t know this, since you’re obviously a new driver, but this part of town is our turf,” said Jefferson. “These streets belong to the Fireball Rollers. That’s us. And we don’t allow amateurs on our streets. So get lost loser!”

                “Jefferson, you talk a lot of smack and a lot of big game, but I haven’t seen you do anything special,” said Alex. “For all I know, you could be a worse driver than Mulligan’s grandma.”

                Jefferson smirked. “You want to see what I can do? How about we race. Me and you. We’ll meet right here and go past the break in the road. Finish line is the stop sign at Groach road. We race for pink slips.”

                “You’re on. Next Friday,” said Alex.

                “See you then,” said Jefferson.

 


	5. Chapter 5

“Alex! What were you thinking?!” John said. “You can’t beat Jefferson!”

                John, Lafayette, and Mulligan were all over for a sleepover. They were all hanging out in Alex’s room. They sat around on the floor, a big bowl of popcorn and other snacks in the center. Ella Enchanted was playing on the TV in the background.

                “I think I can!” said Alex. “If I train and practice for it, I think I can do it!”

                “Well then you’d better start training!” said Mulligan. “The race is next week!”

                “And what are you gonna do if you lose?” asked Lafayette. “Jefferson will get your car!”

                Alex clenched his fist and said, “I won’t lose.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

                The next day at school, Alex sat in his first hour class and talked to his friends. They were discussing plans for training after school.

                “So we start the training after school today?” asked John. “Or tomorrow morning?”

                “Tomorrow morning,” said Mulligan. “So it’s a proper day of training.”

                “Alright. Let’s do it,” said Alex. “I’m ready.”

                The bell rang and Alex started gathering his things to leave.

                “Alexander, may I talk to you for a moment?” said Mr. Washington.

                “Yeah sure,” said Alex, approaching the desk. “I’ll see you guys at lunch!”

                John, Mulligan, and Lafayette waved to him as they left the room along with everyone else.

                “What is it Mr. Washington?” asked Alex.

                “Alex, I heard that you’re racing against Jefferson next week,” said Washington.

                Alex’s stomach dropped. Street racing was illegal. Was Washington going to get him into trouble?

                “I want to warn you,” said Washington. “Jefferson is a good racer. And he doesn’t play by the rules. I hear that you have some potential though.”

                “Sir, I don’t know what you heard, but whatever it is, Jefferson started it,” said Alex. “I promise I had no intention of-“

                “Alex, I used to be a street racer in my day,” said Washington. Alex blinked. “I ruled the streets in my red and white 1967 Mustang. No one could beat me in any kind of race. Every gang in the city was under my rule. The gang leaders were like my knights of the round table. I was the ruler for five years. But then came a man who went by the name of King George. He drove up in his cherry red Alfa Romeo 4c with a hood ornament of a little gold crown. He drove up with an army and he took the streets by force. I had to run. I haven’t returned to that world since then. And King George still rules the streets to this day.”

                Alex gazed at Mr. Washington with newfound respect. He didn’t know what to say.

                “Son,” Washington put a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “I’d like to help you beat Jefferson, and all the gang leaders, and finally take the streets back from King George.”

                “You really think that’s possible sir?” asked Alex.

                “I do. But right now, you need to get to class,” said Washington. “Meet me after school and I’ll give you some advice.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

                “The first thing you need is a pit crew,” said Washington. “But it looks like you already have that.”

                Alex, Lafayette, Mulligan, and John were all standing in front of Washington’s garage. Inside the garage were three cars: Washington’s Mercedes that he drove to work, Martha’s Toyota, and the red 1967 Mustang with white racing stripes and chrome fenders and detail. It was beautiful.

                “First thing’s first,” said Washington. “We need to practice racing. I’ll take out Ole Betsy and John can drive his BMW.”

                “And I will drive my Porsche,” said Lafayette. “I just had it flown over from France. It was my racing car there.”

                “Laf, you raced?” asked Mulligan.

                “Of course!” they said. “I own the streets of _Haute-Loire_ in my _petite voiture.”_

“You’re up against three then,” said Washington. “Let’s all meet at that road you used before in an hour.”

                Alex and his friends all left to go pick up their cars. While they were driving, Alex said, “It sure is cool that Washington used to be a racer.”

                “Yeah it is,” said John. “I never would’ve guessed.”

                “I could tell,” said Lafayette. “I could see the need for speed in his eyes the moment I saw him.”

                They picked up all the cars and met Washington at the road and the four cars all lined up. Alex looked to his right and saw John revving his engine. John looked at him and smiled, making Alex’s heart leap. He looked to the left and caught Lafayette’s eye. Lafayette winked and gripped the wheel. Mulligan walked between the cars and stood in the middle of the road in front of them. He raised his arm. Alex revved his engine. Mulligan let his arm drop and all four cars sped forward, tires screeching on the pavement.

                Alex fell behind for a moment in the very beginning, but he managed to catch up. He feared his car would be no match for the cars he was up against. But he took one glance at that eagle on his hood and he knew he would win this race. He pushed the pedal to the metal and sped past all three cars. The turns were coming up and he knew Lafayette’s Porsche would be able to take them at a lot higher speed than him. He could see the little yellow car right behind him in his rearview mirror.

                The first curve was coming up. Alex was at sixty but he pushed to seventy and took the first turn, his back wheels skidding and fishtailing. Then he took the rest of the turns at the same speed and came up on the jump. The Porsche was starting to pass him and they both jumped the ravine at the same time, landing on the other side flawlessly.

                As Alex struggled to keep Lafayette from passing him, he briefly worried about John making the jump. He couldn’t see the BMW or the Mustang anywhere behind them.

                Lafayette swerved over into Alex’s Firebird, making him almost go into the ditch. Alex tried to speed up to lose him but the Porsche was fast. Lafayette swerved into him again, trading some paint. Alex pushed back, making sparks fly off of the two cars. Alex turned his wheel sharply to the left, slamming into the Porsche. The little car swerved off to the side and struggled to regain control. Alex took the chance to speed up and loose the little coupe.

                He sped down the now empty road, victory on his mind. He was getting close to the starting point. Just one more mile. There it was. He could see Mulligan sitting there in a folding chair holding a stopwatch and a notepad. Alex flew past him and slowed to a stop up ahead. Lafayette sped past just seconds later. They both backed up and pulled off to the side, then got out. Shortly after, Washington and John finished and they all met in the middle of the road.

                “Nice job Alex!” said Mulligan. “You won!”

                “That is unfair, I demand a rematch,” said Lafayette. “I have been racing for years. I refuse to lose against a new driver.”

                “Don’t be a poor sport Laf,” said Alex. “I won fair and square.”

                “Yeah, and you came in second so it wasn’t too bad,” said John.               

                “I always say that racing is forty percent skill and sixty percent luck,” said Washington. “You never know what obstacles there will be and what kind of circumstances will arise.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

                For the next few days, Alex trained non-stop for the race. He jogged in the mornings with his friends, went to the weight room with Mulligan after school, and practiced racing in the evenings with Lafayette. Before he knew it, Alex was more than ready to take on Jefferson. And soon enough, Friday rolled around and it came time for Alex to meet Jefferson for the race.

                Alex rolled up to the alley that the race would start at and got out. John, Mulligan, and Lafayette followed suit.

                “You think he chickened out?” asked Mulligan.

                “Non, he would not,” said Lafayette. “I was the one who taught him how to race when he stayed with me in France as an exchange student. He never misses a race.”

                Just then, Jefferson’s purple Mustang rolled up and he stepped out. Madison stepped out of the passenger side. They walked over to stand in front of Alex and his friends. Jefferson opened his mouth to speak but then Madison doubled over and turned away, falling into a coughing fit. Jefferson put a hand on his back and waited patiently for him to contain himself. Once Madison was finished, Jefferson patted him on the back and said, “So I see you decided to come. Prepare to be knocked off your high horse.”

                John stepped forward as if to attack Jefferson but Alex grabbed his arm. “You’re gonna eat those words,” said Alex.

                “We’ll see about that,” said Jefferson. “Shall we get started?”

                “Let’s do this,” said Alex.

                Alex and Jefferson got into their cars as everyone else stepped off to the side. They pulled up beside each other and revved their engines. Alex looked over and saw Jefferson look over at him with a look that said, “This is just a Sunday drive for me.” Lafayette walked between the cars and stopped in front of them, their heels clicking on the ground. They looked between the two cars, their perfect eyeliner and glossy lips shining in the headlights. They pulled the blue necktie off of their neck and held it high in the air. Both cars revved their engines. Lafayette dropped both hands, quite theatrically if Alex said so himself, and both cars sped past them, leaving them in their dust.

                Alex’s heart pounded in his chest as the purple Mustang sped ahead of him right away. He pushed the pedal to the metal and sped forward. He was coming up on the Mustang but he just couldn’t seem to get past him. Man, that car was fast! He decided to use some of the tricks that Lafayette had taught him.

                He started pumping the gas pedal, revving his engine right behind the Mustang. He managed to inch forward enough to tap the back bumper of the car. Jefferson swerved a bit but got control back right away. Alex pressed on faster again, this time ramming right into the back of Jefferson’s car. The Mustang swerved more violently this time, the back wheels fishtailing all over the place. Before Jefferson got a chance to regain control, Alex slammed on the gas and sped around him.

                As Alex was passing him, Jefferson spun his wheel and swerved right into the Firebird. They traded paint back and forth before Alex slammed into the Mustang’s side and sped off. In his rearview mirror, he saw Jefferson spin off the road. He was almost to the finish line. He was back in the city now and the alley they started in was just around the corner.

                Behind him, Alex saw Jefferson come into view and speed up. He was gaining on him, but Alex refused to lose this race. He sped up, ready to finish up the final stretch. He rounded the corner and saw the alley up ahead. His friends were there, cheering for him.

                Alex’s Firebird sped right through that alley, leaving Jefferson to follow after him. He slowed to a stop and ran back to the alley where his friends were cheering for him. He got to them and they all tackled him in a hug.

                “Alex you won!” shouted John.

                Jefferson pulled up by them and got out. He looked hella pissed.

                “Rematch, here and now,” he said, charging at them.

                “No way man, Alex won fair and square,” said John. John and Jefferson glared at each other and Alex was sure a fight was about to break out. Just then, Madison came up and grabbed Jefferson’s arm, pulling him away from the scene. Alex kept his eyes on the pair as they walked back to the car. Madison was putting his hands on Jefferson’s shoulders and trying to get him to look at him.

                “Good job Alex,” said Mulligan. Alex looked back to his friends.

                “Do not worry about Thomas,” said Lafayette. “He is a sore loser but he won’t do anything.”

                “Alright, listen,” said Jefferson, coming back over to them. He was hand in hand with Madison and he seemed a lot calmer. “I hear you’re trying to bring down King George.”

                “That’s right,” said Alex.

                “Good. I hope you beat him. But listen squirt, it’s not gonna be that easy,” he said. “King George is currently undefeated. You’d better be one helluva racer to beat him. You also have to race all of his gang leaders before you can even meet him.”

                “I heard,” said Alex.

                “Yeah, well, none of them are easy to beat,” said Jefferson. “You’d better practice more.”

                “Why are you telling me this?” asked Alex.

                “Because I wanna see King George off his high horse as much as everyone else,” he said. “So you better not lose.”

                “I don’t plan on it,” said Alex.

                Jefferson went back to his car with Madison and drove away.

                “Did you guys hear what he said?” Alex turned to his friends. “This whole thing is pretty serious guys.”

                “You can do it Alex,” said Lafayette. “These people are just people after all.”

                “Yeah, like Washington said, ‘forty percent skill and sixty percent luck’,” said Mulligan. “And you seem to be pretty lucky so far.”

                “Well, thanks guys,” said Alex. “Maybe I can do this after all.”

 


	6. Chapter 6

For the next week, Alex and his friends spent a lot of time at the garage. Alex had made friends with Peggy and her sisters along with Maria. Angelica was way out of his league but he still enjoyed hanging out with her. And Eliza was really sweet. One day, they were all hanging out in the garage and Angelica let something slip.

                “…My car needed a tune up before the race though, so I had to skip last hour to get to the garage,” said Angelica.

                “Wait hold on,” Peggy stopped her. “’Race’?”

                “Yeah?”

                “You race?” she said again.

                “Of course I race!” said Angelica. “Why do you think I go to that other garage? It’s so that dad won’t find out.”

                “Oh my god! That’s why your Hellcat is so tricked out, isn’t it?” Peggy squealed.

                “Jeez Peg, a little late to the party, huh?” Angelica snorted. “Anyway, Alex, I heard you’re trying to take down King George.”

                “You heard right,” he said.

                “Good luck,” she said. “I actually work under one of the gang leader’s so maybe you’ll see me.”

                “Which one?” asked Lafayette.

                “Boss Reina, obviously,” she said. “Who else would I work for?”

                “Ah, I haven’t seen her in years,” said Lafayette. “I look forward to meeting her again.”

                “She was just talking about you the other day,” said Angelica. The conversation continued and Alex zoned out. He saw Eliza stand up and motion for him to follow her. He got up and followed her away from the group.

                “Alex, I knew Angelica was racing and I don’t like it,” she said. “I know how dangerous racing is and I just wanted to tell you to be careful.”

                “Thank you for the concern Eliza,” said Alex. “I’ll be careful.”

                “Please do,” she said. “I had a friend who died in a race once. I don’t want to see you or Angelica end up like that.”

                “We won’t,” said Alex. “If I know Angelica at all, she has a lot of sense about her. I think she’ll be fine. And I can take care of myself.”

                “Okay, please do,” she said. “I also wanted to know if you had any plans for going to the school dance next month.”

                Alex paused and looked at her. He hadn’t thought about the dance. He had been too busy focusing on racing. “Yeah, I’d like to go but I don’t have a date or anything.”

                “I can be your date,” she said, her cheeks flushing pink. She looked away. Gosh, she was so cute.

                “I’d love to go to the dance with you, Eliza,” Alex said, smiling.

               

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

                Later that day, the gang was all hanging out in Alex’s room. They were talking about cars and school or something, but Alex was too busy thinking about Eliza and the dance.

                “Hey Alex,” said Mulligan. “I saw you and Eliza talking. What was that about?”

                He was bouncing his eyebrows at Alex. Alex laughed and said, “She asked me to the dance.”

                They all exploded into a chorus of exclamations. Everyone except John, Alex noticed. John forced a quick smile then looked away.

                “Dude! I was just about to suggest all of go together if we don’t get dates, but look at you!” said Mulligan.

                “Well, you guys can still go together,” said Alex.

                “Hell yeah!” said Mulligan. “We’ll all go and you’ll be jealous of how much fun we’re having.”

                “Yeah right,” Alex laughed.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

                It was in the morning and Alex was driving to school. He was stopped at a red light. The road ahead was empty. An orange convertible Scorpion pulled up next to Alex and revved its engine. Sitting in the driver’s seat was a small girl with a bright pink pixie cut and neon pink lips. She looked at Alex and blew a bubble with her gum. She revved her engine again and Alex knew what it meant.                 This girl was challenging him to a race.

                Alex revved his engine back at her and slammed on the gas as soon at the light turned green. They both tore down the open road, both engines roaring under their hoods. That Scorpion was fast and Alex was afraid he wouldn’t be able to pass her. The school was coming up. Alex tried with all his might to pass her but then they were in the school parking lot, slowing to a stop. Alex pulled up next to her and got out.

                “Hey there hot stuff!” she said, cackling. “I’ve been hearing a lot about you! But you ain’t nothin special. If you can’t beat little ol’ me, how do y’all expect to beat the King?”

                “You caught me off guard,” said Alex. “Why don’t we try that again?”

                “Yeah, yeah,” she waved a hand at him. “But how bout this? Our whole gangs can race each other. Five against five. Whoever passes the finish line first wins for their team.”

                “Sounds like a plan,” said Alex.

                “Good. Friday at eight?” she asked. “In the old factory lot.”

                “See you then,” said Alex.

                The girl got back into her car and drove off. Alex parked his car and went into the school. As soon as he got to his locker, John, Lafayette, and Mulligan came over to him.

                “We just saw you racing that girl!” said John.

                “Do you know who that is?” said Mulligan.

                “Angelica told us that was Suzy Q,” said John. “She’s one of the gang leaders!”

                “Really?” Alex’s eyes widened.

                “Yeah, and she’s crazy so you better watch out for her,” said someone behind Alex. Alex turned around and saw Angelica.

                “Have you raced her before?” asked Alex.

                “Yeah. I never beat her though,” she said. “I wouldn’t challenge her to a race though. I’m not insane.”

                Alex laughed nervously and said, “I kind of challenged her to a race.”

                “What?” Angelica shouted.

                “Her gang against mine. Five against five,” he said, realizing that he didn’t have five people to race with him.

                “Who’s your gang?” asked Angelica. “You just moved here.”

                “Yeah, about that,” said Alex. “I don’t know how I’m gonna get four more people to race with me.”

                “I will be in your gang,” said Lafayette. “I have been dying to get back onto the road again.”

                “I’ll be in your gang,” said John. “I don’t know how to race, but I’m a fast learner.”

                “I guess I’ll join you,” said Angelica. “But only because I want to beat Suzy.”

                “Awesome!” said Alex. “Who will be my last member?”

                “Ya know, I know he hasn’t been racing at all since he had his surgery, but Aaron is quite the driver,” said Angelica. “You should talk to him. See if he’d be willing to get back on the road.”

                “Good to know!” said Alex. “I’ll talk to him in chemistry class.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

                “So I heard you used to race,” said Alex. He and Burr had been sitting in uncomfortable silence for a whole fifteen minutes in their class and Alex was getting sick of it. “What made you stop?”

                “You know what made me stop,” said Aaron, not looking up from his work.

                “Surgery or something right?” he asked.

                “Yes. And hormone treatment,” he said. “It’s a bit frowned upon to put too much stress on one’s body when one goes through that.”

                “Oh, well, how far in are you now? Ever think about getting back into racing?” asked Alex.

                “No, not really,” he said.

                “Why not?” asked Alex.

                “Alex, I’m trying to make myself a new start. I’ve stopped racing, I’m doing well in school, I even have a girlfriend. I don’t want to go back.”

                “Angelica told me you loved racing,” said Alex. “Getting back into racing doesn’t have to mean you’re going backwards. You’re a new man now Burr, that doesn’t mean you have to drop everything you loved.”

                Alex chuckled at his “new man” joke, but Aaron still didn’t look up.

                “At least think about it Burr,” said Alex. “I need a fifth member for my gang. I’m racing against Suzy Q this Friday.”

                “I’ll think about it,” he said.

                “Thanks buddy!” Alex slapped him on the back. “Hey, who’s your girlfriend?”

                “Would you keep it down?” he said, finally looking up. “If you must know, it’s Theodosia.”

                Alex’s mouth made a little “o” as he stared at Aaron in shock. “She’s dating Jacques Prevost! The quarterback!” he whisper shouted.

                “Shh! I know,” said Burr. “Don’t say anything, okay?”

                “My lips are sealed,” said Alex. He did the zipper thing across his lips, locked them and threw away the key. The bell rang just then and they both stood up.

                “You’ll let me know if you decide though, right?” asked Alex, catching Aaron’s arm. “About the race?”

                Aaron looked at him for a while then said, “Yeah, I’ll let you know.”

                He shrugged out of Alex’s grasp and walked out.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Friday came and Alex and his four person gang showed up at the old factory lot. Angelica pulled up in her pink Dodge Charger SRT8. On Alex’s other side, John pulled up in his BMW and then Lafayette in their Porsche. Across from them, Suzy Q stepped out of her car and looked Alex up and down.

                “Like what you see?” asked Alex.

                Suzy giggled and said, “Where’s your fifth guy?”

                “Couldn’t make it,” said Alex. “Shall we get started?”

                “Wait, wait, wait,” Suzy stepped forward. “Is that Angelica Schuyler?”

                “It sure is,” said Angelica. “Long time no see.”

                “Last time I saw you, I totaled your car,” said Suzy.

                “And I broke your nose,” said Angelica. “It’s still a little crooked isn’t it?”

                “Enough,” snapped the guy standing next to Suzy. He was tall and wore a studded leather jacket. “Let’s race already!”

                Just then, another car pulled up and parked in the lineup by Alex. It was a red Lexus. When it stopped, the door opened and out stepped Aaron Burr.

                “Burr!” Alex shouted. “You made it! Let’s get started shall we?”

                “You owe me,” said Burr.

                “Yeah, yeah,” said Alex, climbing into his car.

                Everyone got into their cars and lined up. They all revved their engines and then, the race started. All ten cars sped forward. Alex was in the lead for a while, but Suzy Q was way too fast. She took the lead and Alex had to struggle around everyone else. Just then, Angelica’s pink Dodge zoomed past Alex and caught up with Suzy Q.

                “Go get her,” Alex said under his breath, a smile creeping across his face. He raced alongside the rest of the drivers until they went around and approached the factory again. Alex could see Suzy Q and Angelica toe to toe up ahead. Alex willed Angelica to pass her with every fiber of his being. His knuckles were white on the wheel. At the very last second, Angelica sped past Suzy and went through the finish line.

                “HELL YEAH!” Alex jumped in his seat, pumping a fist in the air. Everyone else caught up and came to a stop. The race was over and Alex’s gang won. _Angelica_ won.

                “I want a rematch!” Suzy shouted, jumping out of her car, not bothering with the door.

                “Hey, step offa me bitch! I won that fair and square!” said Angelica. “You’re just bitter about losing your winning streak.”

                “Fine whatever, it’s cool,” said Suzy. She shrugged her shoulders and walked around in a circle. The tall guy in the leather jacket came up to her and handed her a little green ball. She took it and started squeezing it furiously. The tall guy stood behind her and rubbed her shoulders while she took deep breaths.

                She handed the ball to the jacket guy and let out a long breath.

                “Everything…is cool,” she said. “It’s okay Angie. I forgive you. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.”

                “What the hell?” Angelica said, looking at Alex and the others.

                “There’s just one thing you need to know if you wanna beat King George,” said Suzy. “Watch out for Crikey McEvers. You don’t wanna mess with him. He comes to you for a race, you don’t find him. So just watch your backs. You guys are good. I hope you win against the King.”

                She pointed at John and said, “Kid, you looked like you never raced a day in your life. But you got potential. Keep practicing. And Burr, It’s nice to see you again. Have a good evening guys.”

                She and her gang all got back into their cars and drove off.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

                It was only a few weeks before the dance and Alex and Eliza were spending a lot of time together. They hung out after school sometimes and did homework together. On the weekends, they went into town and hung out all day. Alex went with her to buy a dress and almost fought the shopkeeper when he tried to refuse Eliza service. He knew that she got enough of that in school. They bought a dress and they shopped some more and it was all awesome.

                “Alex, you know Alison Hunter?” Eliza asked one day while they were walking down the street. They were on their way to the diner where they were going to meet all their friends.

                “Yeah,” he said.

                “Um…I think I like her,” she said.

                “Like-like?”

                “Yeah.”

                Alex looked over at her. She was chewing on her lip, looking everywhere but at Alex. Instead of getting mad though, Alex laughed. He laughed until he was doubled over, slapping his knee and wiping a tear from his eye.

                When he stood back up, Eliza was staring at him like he had gone crazy.

                “Eliza, that’s interesting because I also like someone,” he said.

                “Is it John?” she asked, relief washing over her features.

                “Yeah, it’s John,” he said. “But the dance is only a week away and Alison has a date.”

                “That’s true,” she said. “I was thinking we could still go together but maybe just stay friends after the dance?”

                “That sounds like a good plan,” said Alex.

                “Okay. Thank you,” she said, sighing. “I was really afraid you’d be mad at me.”

                “Aww! I could never be mad at you Eliza,” he said. He slung an arm around her shoulders and smacked a kiss to her cheek. Eliza froze and Alex looked to see what it was. They had just walked into the diner and their friends were there, calling them over. And there was John, looking right at them.

                Alex took his arm back and Eliza whispered to him, “Good luck.” On their way to the table. Alex slid into the booth next to Mulligan and joined the conversation.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day, Alex was sitting in his room working on his homework. Eliza was talking to him on facetime. A call came in just then. It was Mulligan.

                “One sec, Eliza. Hey what’s up?” Alex put it on speaker and continued to work on his homework.

                “Alex, where are you?” asked Mulligan.

                “At home,” he said.

                “John is gone,” said Mulligan. “He went to go look for Crikey McEvers.”

                “What?!”

                “We’re on our way over to pick you up,” said Mulligan. “Wait there.”

                Alex hung up on Mulligan and said, “Eliza, I have to go! John is getting himself into trouble!”

                “Make sure he doesn’t hurt himself!” she said before Alex hung up and raced downstairs.

                He heard the car horn outside just as he hit the foyer rug and flung the door open. Lafayette and Mulligan were at the bottom of the driveway in Mulligan’s jalopy. Alex hopped into the back and Mulligan sped off.

                It took them a whole hour for them to find John, and by that time, it was too late. John was racing Crikey McEvers. Crikey McEvers drove a 2000 blue Chrysler minivan. And that minivan was _fast._ Alex watched the van speed past John’s BMW and swerve in front of him.

                It happened too fast for Alex to see everything clearly. Black oil poured out of the back of the minivan and John skidded through it, sliding sideways. Then the BMW flipped over and rolled once, twice, three times before it came to a stop on its hood. Alex stared in horror as the blue minivan sped off, not noticing the accident. He then disappeared around the corner.

                Alex, Lafayette, and Mulligan jumped out of the car and ran to the scene. Lafayette was already on the phone, calling for an ambulance. Alex and Mulligan got to the car first and went to the driver’s side door. When they tried to pull it open, the entire door pulled off. Mulligan tossed it to the side and Alex looked inside. John was barely awake. After a full scan, Alex couldn’t find anything horribly serious. Like no legs or something. There was a little bit of blood running into his hair and his arm was at an odd angle. They managed to unbuckle him and gently pull him out just as the ambulance showed up.

                Alex chewed nervously on his lip all the way to the hospital. He was in the back seat, not listening to what Mulligan and Lafayette were talking about up front. He couldn’t seem to focus on their voices. _What was John thinking?_

                When they got to the hospital, the nurses wouldn’t let them go in to see John right away. When they did, it was late and John was asleep when they got there.

                Lafayette and Mulligan left around ten, but Alex stayed there for the night. The room was dim and the curtains were drawn. The only light in the room came from the equipment and a small lamp on the other side of the room. It seemed that John had only broken his arm in the crash. They wanted to keep him overnight just in case. He hit his head pretty hard. Alex still stayed with him even though he was probably fine. He felt like it was his fault that John got into this. If only Alex could have picked up a safer hobby. Like knitting or something.

                Alex sat in a chair next to the bed. John’s unbroken hand was laying there and Alex took it.

                “John, I don’t know what you were thinking when you went to race this guy on your own, but it was really stupid,” said Alex. “You could’ve been killed. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you got killed in that race, John. I have the biggest crush on you and I still need to dance with you at the dance.”

                “Does Eliza know about all this?” John whispered in a hoarse voice. Alex’s head shot up and he looked at John. He was looking at Alex with tired eyes.

                “John!” Alex lunged forward and hugged him.

                “Hey, hey, hey! Careful!” said John. “Watch the arm.”

                “Sorry,” Alex sat back down. “Yeah, Eliza knows. She has a crush on someone else too. We decided to just be friends after the dance.”

                “Who does she like?” John asked.

                “Alison Hunter,” said Alex.

                “No way,” said John. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

                “Yeah. So I was thinking maybe…after the dance, you could be my boyfriend?” Alex fiddled with the edge of his sweater, avoiding John’s eyes.

                “You read my mind, Alex,” said John.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

                After a few hours of talking in the dark hospital room, the doorknob rattled, startling both of them. It was around midnight. No one should be trying to get in. John’s grip tightened around Alex’s hand. The door opened and in the doorway stood a huge, hulking man. He stepped into the room and Alex noticed that the man wore a leather vest covered in studs and patches. His giant arms were covered in scary tattoos and his mullet was so greasy that one could probably fill a fondue pot from it. His handlebar mustache was fluffy.

                “John Laurens,” he said in a deep, gruff voice. “And you must be Alexander Hamilton.”

                “Who are you?” asked Alex, standing up.

                “Alex, that’s Crikey McEvers,” said John.

                “Crikey McEvers? What are you doing here?” asked Alex.

                “I’m here to tell you that I’m gonna let you off with a win this time. Your boyfriend here got injured and I don’t race injured people. So you can have this one,” he said. “BUT! You had better win against King George. Or else I’m gonna come after you. You better watch your backs.”


	9. Chapter 9

In the next week, Alex raced a gang leader almost every day. After the Crikey McEvers incident, Alex raced a gang leader named Apollo. Apollo drove a light blue Bugatti and drove with all the grace of a figure skater. Alex won by running him off the road and passing the finish line with time to spare. The next person Alex took on was a stylish racer named Paris. They drove a red Pontiac Aztec with an above the hood V8 engine with chrome piping and air intake. They almost beat Alex but he was just slightly luckier than them and somehow managed to win. Another racer pulled up in a pink 1959 Cadillac. The driver was none other than the queen of England herself, Queen Elizabeth. She really wasn’t that hard to beat. She was actually kind of a terrible driver.

                And then Alex faced the last gang leader: Boss Reina. She showed up driving a black Lamborghini with gold detail. She showed up with her entire gang in tow. She was a tall, slender woman who rocked her slick suit. Her raven black hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail and her bangs covered her eyebrows. Her entire gang consisted of women of the same build, all wearing suits and all of them had identical hair: long, straight, platinum blonde with bangs. Alex recognized Angelica as one of the girls. She pretended not to know him.

                 Boss Reina was the toughest one to beat, but Alex managed to do it somehow.

                And then, the very next day, it was time for the dance. All afternoon, Alex had been getting ready for the dance and then he met up with his friends, ready to go to the school.

                They all arrived together: Alex, John, Lafayette, Mulligan, Eliza, Angelica, Maria, and Peggy. Peggy had a hot date who she met up with at the dance, a cute girl with blonde curly hair. The dance lasted a few hours and everyone had a ton of fun. At some point, Alex and Eliza ran into Burr and his date. Theodosia was wearing a beautiful dress with a matching hijab. Alex wondered if her and her boyfriend broke up. Alex didn’t think Burr was brave enough to take Theo while she was still dating that guy. He wanted to ask him but they left, and then Eliza left, going to talk to Alison Hunter. And that was when Alex was approached by John.

                “I saw that Eliza found Alison,” he said. “You think she’ll ask her for a dance?”

                “I hope so,” said Alex. “She’s been talking about it all night.”

                “What about you? Anyone here you’ve been talking about asking for a dance?” asked John. The sly dog.

                “As a matter of fact, there is someone,” said Alex. “John, may I have this dance?”

                The song All of Me, by John Legend, started playing as John took Alex’s hand and they went out to the dance floor. Careful of the cast on John’s arm, Alex put a hand on Johns shoulder and they swayed to the beat of the song. Time seemed to stop and all Alex saw was the boy in front of him. The gym was no longer there. As the song played, they kept inching closer to each other until Alex’s arms were around John’s neck and John had his arms around Alex’s waist. They were so close and it was as if they were dancing in the stars! Alex laid his head on John’s shoulder.

                The last few notes of the song played out and Alex lifted his head. John’s face was so close. Alex looked down at his lips and before the last note played on the piano, John closed the distance and pressed their mouths together. Kissing John was just like he imagined. His lips were soft and warm and everything was so perfect.

                The song ended and they broke apart all too soon. They looked at each other and neither of them wanted this moment to end. But then the next song came on. It was Everytime We Touch, by Cascada. All of their friends found them in the crowd and they all gathered together and danced with each other. Alex could feel the beat of the music in his chest. He danced and John was right there, pressed up against him. He reached out and pulled John in for another kiss, right in the middle of the tightly packed dancing crowd. And this time, they didn’t break apart.

                Alex couldn’t tell if the pounding in his chest was the music or his heart.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

                The next day, Alex woke up in his own bed. But there was something warm curled up next to him. He opened his eyes and saw that it was John! Lafayette was on his other side and Peggy was sprawled across their legs. Alex sat up as much as he could without disturbing anyone and looked on the floor. Laying around haphazardly all over the floor was Mulligan, Angelica, Maria, Eliza, Peggy’s date, Alison Hunter, and some red headed girl that Alex didn’t recognize.

                As people started to wake up, Alex went downstairs to find something to make for breakfast. He ended up making spaghetti. While the water was boiling, people came downstairs and Alex went to get the mail. He sifted through the mail. Most of it was bills and such but there was one for him! He turned it over and saw that it was sealed with a wax seal. The seal was a little crown, stamped in red wax. Alex lifted the seal and opened the letter. The letter read:

_A Message from the King_

_Dear Alexander,_

_As you may have heard, there is someone ruling the very streets that you have been tearing up. That ruler is me! King George! That’s right, the one and only King George! I’m quite sure you have heard my name before and another thing I am quite sure of is that you want to race me! That is absolutely absurd!_

_But, I am a merciful King and I am willing to entertain you. This is your formal invitation to a race with me. You will see just how silly you are being when you meet me and you will want to run away. But here is your invitation nonetheless._

_Meet me behind the old parking garage at high noon on Sunday. I fear that Sunday is the only day I am available. Do not arrive any earlier than noon, for that is when I will be getting out of church._

_Yours truly,_

_King George_

                There was a little heart drawn next to his name at the bottom of the page. Alex read the letter over and then showed it to everyone.

 


	10. Chapter 10

Alex arrived in the old parking lot behind the abandoned parking garage at noon exactly on Sunday. With him was Mulligan, John in his new BMW cuz his dad’s rich, Lafayette, Angelica and her sisters, and Maria. A few minutes later, another car pulled up. It was a red Lexus.

                “Burr! I didn’t think you would show up today!” said Alex as Burr stepped out of his car.

                “Yeah well, I guess you got me back into racing,” he said. “Maybe I want to see King George beaten as much as you guys do.”

                “Well then! Welcome to the party!” said Alex.

                Just then, the rumble of engines vibrated in the ground beneath their feet. They looked to see an army of cars pull up. In the front of the group was a little red Alfa Romeo. The car had a hood ornament of a gold crown. Alex noticed it was the same crown as the one on the seal of the letter.

                All of the cars came to a stop in front of them and the door of the Alfa opened and a man stepped out. He was dressed in a fur trimmed, red cloak. His vest was adorned with jewelry and there was a gold crown on his head, inlaid with rubies. He held a scepter in his hands.

                “So I see you decided to come,” he said in a posh British accent. Behind him, one of the other cars opened its doors and a man stepped out. That man opened the back door and held it open as two people stepped out. They had collars around their necks and thin gold chains hanging from the rings. The man who held the door grabbed their chains and led them over to King George. Then people started getting out of all the cars. They were all dressed extravagantly, but not as extravagant as the King.

                The King snapped his fingers and a man in blue robes rushed over to him.

                “Samuel, read the rules, would you my dear?” he said, still looking right at Alex.

                “Yes sire,” said Samuel. He unrolled the scroll that he held in his hands and cleared his throat. “The rules of the race are there are no rules. Except one: You must let King George win.”

                Samuel rolled the scroll back up and stepped back. Alex looked around at all the people standing by their cars. They all looked a little high. The two people on leashes behind the King looked really high.

                “Now,” said the King, unbuttoning his cloak. “Shall we begin?”

                He took off his cloak and someone took it from him. Someone else came up to him and handed him a pair of white gloves. He took his time putting them on.

                “What kind of rules are those?” said Alex.

                “Why, they’re _my_ rules of course!” said the King. Once he finished putting on his gloves, he took off his crown and handed it to someone. Then he waved at Samuel. Samuel jumped and dropped his scroll. He scrambled away and came back quickly with a little wooden box in his hands. He held it open to the King. King George bent down, burying his nose in the box. He held a finger up to one nostril and then snorted loudly out of the box. When he stood back up, he sniffed and shook his head.

                “Now let’s start,” he said, turning to get in his car.

                “We shall all race together, but the winner can only be the King,” said Samuel. “We shall race around the border of the city and end back here.”

                “Alright Sam, that’s enough,” said the King in his car. “Let’s start already!”

                “Right, sorry,” said Sam, who turned and went to his own car.

                Alex looked at his friends. They all looked as confused as Alex felt.

                “I guess let’s start,” said John.

                The rumble of a new engine made everyone look. A red Mustang with white stripes pulled up next to Alex. The window rolled down. It was Washington.

                “Not without me,” he said. “We can win this, Alex.”

                Everyone was in their cars, all lined up. Their engines rumbled and echoed through the empty parking lot. Someone from the King’s gang walked through the cars and stood in front, right in the middle. They lifted their arms. When they dropped them, all the cars sped forward.

                They got onto the road and the race really began. King George was fast, but Alex could tell that he could beat him. He sped up and got right next to the Alfa Romeo. The King looked over at Alex through their windows and Alex could see that his pupils were huge saucers, almost taking over all the blue in his irises. Alex tried to speed past him but that little Alfa Romeo was fast!

                The race continued on like this for a while until they were coming up on the parking garage again. Alex’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel. King George was only about an inch ahead of him. He needed to win. All of his friends were behind him, already having beaten the rest of King George’s gang.

                They were so close to the finish line. Just a little faster….

                Alex glanced down at the rabbit’s foot that was hanging off of his key. Just past the rabbit’s foot, Alex saw the little red button…

                And Alex remembered something… _“See that switch right there next to the ignition?” she pointed to a switch that wasn’t there before. “That right there is Nitrous. When you get to top speed, just press that bad boy and you’ll shoot right past that finish line. Do you smoke?”_

Alex looked down at the Nitrous switch. It was now or never and the parking garage was quickly approaching. He was already at top speed and the Alfa Romeo was still ahead of him. He made his decision just then and pressed the button.

                Alex heard a _clank,_ and for a slip second, he feared that it didn’t work. But then fire shot out of the exhaust. The Firebird flew forward at an incredible speed! And just as they were passing the finish line, Alex passed King George, winning the race! All the cars slowed to a stop in the parking lot. They all got out of their cars. As soon as Alex got out of his car, a body slammed into him. John had his arms around him neck. Alex hugged him back.

                “That’s not fair!” someone shouted. Alex looked to see King George getting out of his car. He took off his gloves and threw them on the ground. “You broke the rules!”

                “There are no rules in street racing,” said Alex. “And I just won! What are you gonna do about it?”

                King George looked at Alex for a moment and then burst into tears. Samuel ran over and hugged him. The King buried his face in Sam’s shoulder and cried about it being “unfair”.

                “Well, now that you won, what are you gonna do?” asked John. “You’re the new king of the streets now!”

                “I think I’m going to give that title to someone who deserves it,” said Alex. “Mr. Washington? Would like to be the king again?”

                “I couldn’t Alex,” he said. “You won that title. It’s yours now.”

                Everyone cheered for Alex. He couldn’t believe that he was the new king! He looked at all of his friends and he knew that they could take on anything.

                He looked at John and John looked back at him and right there, in the middle of everyone celebrating, they kissed.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

                After the final race, everyone went to the Schuyler garage and celebrated. The girls were all there, having heard the news from Angelica. They all partied and everyone had a ball. John and Alex made out in the backroom and everyone lived happily ever after.


End file.
